Tropical system could develop off Florida coast while Hurricane Sam strengthens in Atlantic
Forecasters are monitoring a system in the Caribbean for potential development, which could take place anywhere from the eastern Caribbean islands to offshore of Florida’s east coast.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Sam gained strength Sunday night after initially slowing in the afternoon. It was not expected to survive long, however.
The National Hurricane Center said Sam’s maximum winds increased from 100 mph to 105 mph Sunday night as its movement also picked up in speed.
The tropical disturbance that forecasters are monitoring is expected to move west-northwest and then northwest in the general direction of Florida and the U.S. East Coast. The presence of warm water temperatures and lack of storm-shredding wind shear promote storm development, and experts said there’s a chance the system could gradually develop later this week.
As of Sunday night, however, its odds of developing were low, at 20% within the next five days, according to the hurricane center.
If one more named storm forms this season — Wanda — experts say 2021 will rank third in the record books for the number of named storms generated in one hurricane season.
Wanda is the last remaining storm name for 2021, in a season that runs through Nov. 30. Any storms to form after Wanda would be named using an overflow list, which includes Adria, Braylen, Caridad, Deshawn, Emery, Foster, Gemma and Heath.
At 11 p.m. Sunday, Sam was at Category 2 strength with top winds of 105 mph.
Sam remained a major hurricane, of Category 3 and above, for nearly eight days, which tied it with 1996′s Hurricane Edouard for the fourth longest-lasting major hurricane to ever churn in the Atlantic since 1966, according to Colorado State University hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach.
It ranks behind 2004′s Hurricane Ivan at nine days, 1995′s Hurricane Luis at 8.25 days, and 2003′s Hurricane Isabel at eight days, Klotzbach tweeted.
The storm was located 550 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland, moving northeast at 20 mph as of 11 p.m. Its hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 70 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds extended out up to 240 miles.
Tropical Depression Victor continued to move northwest in the far eastern Atlantic on Sunday. It is expected to dissipate as early as Monday.
